SoCal Kick-Off

Hopefully the storm coming in Tuesday will hit Baldy as hard at it is supposed to.

I've only had one day this year. My wife and I went to Snow Summit about a week ago for some Friday afternoon groomers to break in the boots. It was nice, all things considered. I've been too swamped to get up to Mammoth so far this year. I will be up at Mammoth early next week for a few days, finally. If this storm does set things up I might hit up Baldy this weekend. Let's hope things go as advertised, for both Baldy and Mammoth.

Snow Forest, MacGyver got avalanched at that extreme Big Bear hill in the '80s

Temp/snowline is everything when it comes to tomorrow's storm. A degree or two cooler or warmer is all it takes to flip.

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Originally Posted by 1000-oaks

Temp/snowline is everything when it comes to tomorrow's storm. A degree or two cooler or warmer is all it takes to flip.

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Unfortunately prophetic 1000-Oaks!

They got some good base snow, which is certainly a positive, but apparently not enough to open Thunder.

Let's hope the stuff that is coming the rest of the month ends up working out. This storm could end up supplying a decent base.

It is disappointing though. I'll be in Mammoth for a couple of days next week, then gone until after the new year. I'm hoping to hit Baldy in early January. Fingers crossed.

I might sneak in a half day at Snow Summit this weekend. I was really hoping for Baldy.

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Originally Posted by ~mikey b

what do you guys know about Mountain High?

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Got the Ikon add-on last year as a just-in-case. Used it for friday night tele-turns on weekends I wasn't at Mammoth. Really not a bad joint at all if you're just looking to get some mellow turns in. Really not a bad deal for under $200.

Swapped for the Indy pass this year since it aligns with some travel plans. Guess I'll be checking out SV a couple times.

True boilerplate ice with patches of thin wind-deposited pow. Booting requires axe and crampons, unless you like to slide for life. Helo has already made one run to Register Ridge.

Chair 2 laps are groomed and in great shape.

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Thanks for report, that is kind of what I was guessing after seeing how warm the first part of the storm was...plus all the wind. But better than nothing and should be good base for next good sized storm, hopefully soonish.

Bonanza is currently a frozen river of solid clear ice. On the bright side, that 8"+ of ice does a great job covering rocks and will melt slowly in Spring, keeping the season going.

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Wife and i did some fucking around on beginner chair yesterday (pribably my only weekday to ski all year). She’s hitting small park jumps now which is a bonus. We left before the snow really rolled in.

THIIIIIN bottom of chair 1. Maybe 2-3ft will do it, maybe not. Looks more promising up around chair 3

We probably heading up Sunday. Any takers? I’m the Jack off w orange pants and orange helmet on DPS w wife way too good looking for me


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yeah buddy!

Hey guys, really stupid question for the local collective. Not ski-related, but...the wife got us a cabin in Green Valley Lake up nearish Big Bear for the weekend. Check-in time is 3pm fri, but with the storm petering out tonight if we left at, say noon tomorrow that'll put us smack in the middle of the snow play holiday weekend joey apocalypse. When should we leave friday, living in Upland? Now? Yesterday? Not looking to ski friday, just want to get up there with minimal hassle. Was thinking 8 or 9, trying to slot between skiers getting up to the resorts, and all the snowplay JONGs.

I'm expecting chain control, will be driving a wagon with studded Nokian Hakka snows and will have chains in the car, just would prefer not to run chains on bare dry road.

Yeah yeah yeah fuck the cabin stay at home and rip Baldy instead, you explain that to the wife who doesn't ski.

Probably the earlier the better, takes one thing to slow down traffic (and at least one thing will happen) and folks will be flocking there. Check in times are always drag, especially if you have pets.

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Originally Posted by bry

Probably the earlier the better, takes one thing to slow down traffic (and at least one thing will happen) and folks will be flocking there. Check in times are always drag, especially if you have pets.

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But if you can go rip baldy, do that instead! :)

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Been in line since 830. Maybe almosy there….

Holler if u see a skittle on purple and green fatty DPS


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Well, how was it? Still stuck on traffic getting off the hill?

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Originally Posted by 406

Well, how was it? Still stuck on traffic getting off the hill?

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Some say Max is still sitting in traffic…

Jealous, wish I’d been able to hit up Baldy but this cabin rental was something my wife had been looking forward to for a long time, plus after a bonkers Nov and Dec I needed to unplug a couple days.

I know neither are especially great shakes, but of the Big Bear resorts is Bear Mountain or Snow Scummit preferable over the other? I’m part of the IKON epidemic now so both are free/unlimited for me…

It was pretty damn good. Aside from WAY overshooting The Face my first run and ending up billygoating some shit I wish I hadn’t, burning over an hour in best conditions…

Pea soup visibility most of the day, and snow was pretty upside down and set up fairly quickly. Don’t really understand the crust that formed even before first run.

But coverage pretty darn good, all of chair 3 was open, waiting on 4.

See y’all up there today w the wife. Here’s to hoping she doesn’t hate it…


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Originally Posted by Jumper Bones

but of the Big Bear resorts is Bear Mountain or Snow Scummit preferable over the other?

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I don't do the park and telemark if skiing up there so I actually get some exercise and like Summit better. Seems less crowded on the slopes, wider runs that have a more consistent pitch. BM seems more busy and narrow runs that are steep/flat/steep/flat with falling leaf snowboarders. Lift layout also seems odd. Although in theory, BM might have better side country if conditions allow. But I do like BM beginner lift better for my kids.

Skied Baldy resort today, snow on Robin's, Bonanza and Skyline was fantastic. Emilie's was pretty good, Goldridge was ok. Did not make it in the South Bowl area, but did one fun run through the Tube and that cooked my legs, still some heavy wind affected powder in there.

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Robin's
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Tube Adjacent
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View of Catalina with some cargo ships still waiting at the port of LA
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Coverage looks good! From reading Baldy's IG, they are not running 4? Claiming no staff?

I'm in town for few weeks, thinking of hitting up Baldy. I've only come up in the Spring in the past, so I'm wondering how bad the snowplay traffic will be? If I come up before the lifts open, does the traffic snarl downhill as well?

^ Yes, but it's usually not as bad after dark when most snow players are cold and go home.

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Originally Posted by 1000-oaks

^ Yes, but it's usually not as bad after dark when most snow players are cold and go home.

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The DARK? F me, I've been riding outside of SoCal for too long... oh well I'll just have some patience.

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Originally Posted by 406

Coverage looks good! From reading Baldy's IG, they are not running 4? Claiming no staff?

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Talking with a few lifties it seemed there were at least a couple newbies working solo at a station yesterday and that's without 4 running. Also the Yacht Club is severely understaffed, there was a very small crowd but you would have thought the parking lot was full and overflowing with how long the food/beverage line was checking a couples times an hour apart, no problem finding a table.

Coverage is even pretty good on Bentley's but didn't try skiing it because it didn't warm up enough for me to think it would be fun. Herb's Hollow had good coverage, but barely softened up even with having direct sun the whole day so I figured the good parking lot runs would be less than ok. Skied the lift line down 1 and it was decent conditions.
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how is mountain HIGH?

anyone get out this last weekend? Not my photos, found on the socal snow ig, looks like Mt. BP went huge after the last storm.
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The storm came in heavy with a 4 inch rain crust on top on north facing aspects so I didn't bother with BP, plus the road was closed at Big Pines for a few days after the storm. Reports that the NW gully also ran to the road. One group ventured out there, dug a pit, and got propagation results on a thin facet layer between the new and old snow.

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Originally Posted by 406

anyone get out this last weekend? Not my photos, found on the socal snow ig, looks like Mt. BP went huge after the last storm.

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I was up Saturday and Sunday. Coverage is very good on Thunder and probably still good on 4 (but no staff to run the lift). Groomers are fantastic, mostly coral reef elsewhere. Still some small patches of pow in the darkest, most shaded spots. The top inch or two softened up in Andy's and Herbs, but still a rough ride. Clementine and the face of 2 softened a lot deeper, but was still chopped up from when it was skied pow. Chair 1 stuff looks good on the top half, but is super thin below. I didn't roll the dice.

Conditions are fantastic for early season. Sunny afternoons on 4 would be amazing, anyone want to be a lift op?

"Night vision goggle hoist utilized to rescue injured skier from Mt. Baldy"
https://www.redlandscommunitynews.co...a1f53ad2a.html

I skied baldy Friday had a blast. Got to the parking lot at 1030, lapped chair 3 15x and was out at 230 to be back home by 4p.

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I was up last Thursday from 1 to 4.

I skied mostly the Emile's section right under thunder and Robin's trees.

Emile's softened up a bit and was fun. Robin's was a bit wind affected, but there were some good turns.

I didn't think it was soft enough to ski to the lot, but the coverage is great.

I also skied Saturday from around noon to maybe 330.

Saturday was a blast. Emile's bowl had really nice, wintery snow which was not too wind affected. I spent most of the day there, about 6-7 laps, I just couldn't leave.

I decided to go into herb's, and it was pretty crusty up high with the occasional good turn. About half way down it got better, but still interesting. I would wait for a day with a bit more sun, but I really love herb's.

I also took a couple of laps in goldridge. It was fun and wintery, but not as good as Emile's bowl.

I didn't ski the line under thunder, I don't know how soft it got.

Once again I decided against skiing down. I was pretty spent and I didn't know if it was soft. The good thing is the lot runs have great coverage.

I have some video and pictures I will post later this week. The coverage is awesome and the mountain is skiing really well. Get out there if you get the chance.

Here is a video from the days described in my post above.

It runs long, but I left some stuff in to give a good idea of just what the coverage is like. Some of the cat track footage allows good views of the mountain and a good idea of how things are now. I would definitely recommend people to go up.

I will probably be up Sunday, possibly Saturday. Red marker mogul pants, grey jacket, black helmet, gopro. Give me a shout if you see me.https://youtu.be/U4qnynNoa2Y

Pretty fun today. Def spring conditions. 4 closed at noon for staffing issues 🤨🤨🤨

I skied one lap on 4 and coverage decent, getting thin. Good up on 3 overall. Off piste is… borderline unpleasant




Btw, wife having lots of boot issues. We in Pasadena but will travel far for good bootfitter. Any suggestions??


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Question: Spending two days coming up at Snow Valley on the Indy Pass. Any places to boondock nearbyish? Have an SUV so am fairly discrete. I have not been there in the winter. Would not mind being around other campers.

I haven't been up that way this winter so not sure on snowpack and gates but will PM you an idea. Snow Valley is pretty chill, they might be ok with you parking overnight in the lot...or not, it is SoCal.

Unless you are with beginners, you might get bored at Snow Valley for 2 days. Depending on day/conditions, might be worth buying a lift ticket to Mt. Baldy if you have never been there.

SV security locks the parking lot gates around dusk, at least they used to. Great beginner area.

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Originally Posted by Deep Days

Pretty fun today. Def spring conditions. 4 closed at noon for staffing issues ������

I skied one lap on 4 and coverage decent, getting thin. Good up on 3 overall. Off piste is… borderline unpleasant




Btw, wife having lots of boot issues. We in Pasadena but will travel far for good bootfitter. Any suggestions??


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GOSEY!!! You're in Pasadena? We need to grab turns/beers.


For boots -- there's a Surefoot in LA somewhere and SkiNet in the valley. Shitfoot is, well, Shitfoot. Haven't been to the guy in the Valley, but they're ABB affiliated so I'm thinking they can't be bad. Your best bet is a trip to Mammoth -- Footloose, Kittredge, etc.

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Originally Posted by Speedfreak

GOSEY!!! You're in Pasadena? We need to grab turns/beers.


For boots -- there's a Surefoot in LA somewhere and SkiNet in the valley. Shitfoot is, well, Shitfoot. Haven't been to the guy in the Valley, but they're ABB affiliated so I'm thinking they can't be bad. Your best bet is a trip to Mammoth -- Footloose, Kittredge, etc.

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Looks like SkiNet is closed, along with Docs in Santa Monica. Surefoot is still open in Santa Monica.

Mammoth is probably the way to go. Others seem to really like Footloose but I don't think I'd go back to them for bootfitting. Good selection of boots, and everyone is friendly enough, but they didn't seem terribly invested in actually making adjustments or really getting things dialed.

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Originally Posted by Speedfreak

GOSEY!!! You're in Pasadena? We need to grab turns/beers.

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I’m thinking the same!

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Originally Posted by Deep Days

Pretty fun today. Def spring conditions. 4 closed at noon for staffing issues ������

I skied one lap on 4 and coverage decent, getting thin. Good up on 3 overall. Off piste is… borderline unpleasant




Btw, wife having lots of boot issues. We in Pasadena but will travel far for good bootfitter. Any suggestions??


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I don't really know of anyone down here. I had a buddy who got boots done at the Santa Monica Surefoot and he liked the work, but that was a number of years ago.

I've been in Sufefoot liners for years. They have always done a good job for me. Both my wife and I got ours done in Mammoth and I would highly recommend them. I don't have any experience with either Footloose or Kittredge.

Will anyone be up at Baldy this weekend? I will probably go up tomorrow or Sunday, very possibly both. I will likely be up in the afternoon. Grey jacket, red pants with black mogul patches, black helmet with gopro, probably skiing Armada JJs. Give me a shout if you see me.